Senate Republicans force Wisconsin taxpayers to spend a record $76 billion, but fail to address problems with local schools, roads, and student loans.

MADISON - Senate Republicans continued to pick winners and losers this week forcing Wisconsin taxpayers to pay up to $3 billion in cash payments over the next 15 years to a Chinese corporation with a less than stellar record when it comes to the way in which it treats its workers and the environment.

Nowhere was this better reflected than in the state budget where they spent a record $76 billion but failed to adequately address any of the serious issues facing working families and the middle class.

While 47 millionaires get yet another tax cut, Governor Walker and the Republicans failed to fully fund our public schools and continue to give even more taxpayer money to unaccountable private schools.

Despite Wisconsin having some of the worst roads and highways of any state in the nation, the Governor and Republicans decided yet again to kick the can down the road meaning drivers will face longer delays and drive on increasingly worse roads.

The nearly 1 million Wisconsin residents struggling to pay their student loans will have to wait even longer for relief as Republicans continue to oppose a low-cost plan to help them refinance their student loans at lower interest rates.

After voting for the largest taxpayer giveaway to a foreign corporation in our nation’s history, today’s action by Senate Republicans clearly shows whose side they are on. And it’s not the side of working families or the middle class.

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State Senator Dave Hansen (D-Green Bay) released this statement after the passage of the State Budget Friday.

MADISON - In one week, Majority Party members in the Senate made $79 billion worth of decisions for the Foxconn deal and state budget. But our transportation funding crisis, education funding inequalities, rural broadband, health care needs, and desperate local governments remain unaddressed and disregarded.

Sadly, it feels like we just robbed Peter to pay Judas.

There was no attempt to shore up our finances in this budget for the $3 billion approved for Foxconn. It begs the question; what cuts are in store for schools, health care and property tax increases in future budgets?

Majority Party members have been tripping over each other for months to pass a budget. I cannot vote for this budget that fails to fix our broken school funding formula and doesn’t come close to acknowledging the seriousness of our transportation debt crisis.

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State Senator Kathleen Vinehout (D-Alma) released this statement regarding State Senate action on the 2017-19 State Budget bill.

The negative effects shown by this continued ‘values deficit’ in education go counter to Wisconsin’s proud heritage.

MADISON – How we choose to invest in our children is one of the most important and critical parts of our state budget. I strongly believe one of core pillars of what makes Wisconsin a great state is our dedication to a great education system, where every child has access to a quality education.

It's such a part of who we are that it's actually in our state Constitution. Wisconsin must renew this value of supporting our local public schools, as it is crucial to strengthening our communities and state.

The budget, crafted by the Republican majority, continues to shortchange our children. After nearly $1 billion in historic cuts to the K-12 system, the Republican majority has chosen to continue their attack on our public schools by failing to make them whole. Wisconsin families count on us to do our job so that all of our children have the best education possible. At $76 billion, the largest budget in state history, this anemic K-12 budget shortchanges the future of our kids and grandkids.

The negative effects shown by this continued ‘values deficit’ in education go counter to Wisconsin’s proud heritage. For the first time in modern history, Wisconsin has dropped below the national average for per-child funding. Rejecting our responsibility and constitutional commitment as a state to adequately fund our local schools to allow them to provide a quality education is a dangerous betrayal of a generational promise that has brought the opportunity for prosperity to our state. To make it worse, this budget also allows for a massive expansion of the unaccountable voucher program.

We can and must do better for our kids. Under an amendment offered by Senate Democrats, every single one of our Wisconsin school districts would see a stronger investment, allowing them to ensure our kids reach their full potential and have a shot at the American Dream. Republican’s ignored our neighbors and reject this amendment. I hope they will come to their senses later during the budget debate and support our amendment that would provide real accountability and transparency in the private voucher program.

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This statement from Senator Chris Larson was released regarding the Republican rejection of a brighter future for our kids through an amendment offered by Democrats in the 2017-19 state budget.

“It’s no surprise to me that Sen. Baldwin supports socialized, government-run health care along with Bernie Sanders. Rather than working to identify the problems with our health care system, she’d rather raise taxes and throw more money at it. We cannot afford $1.4 trillion in new spending when our national debt is already more than $20 trillion.

“Sen. Baldwin has been running around the state saying that ‘health care is personal.’ Well, it is personal, that’s why government-run health care is foolish. It’s so irresponsible even Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, refuses to endorse the plan. I want health care that focuses on patients, allows for customized plans, provides choices and drives costs down through competition.

“Wisconsin has been a leader and an innovator in these kinds of solutions. It’s time for the federal government to get out of health care so states like ours can once again make it personal for patients.”